Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1887-01-27
KANSAS HISTORY.
Annual Meeting OF the State Historical
Society.

KANSAS HISTORY.
Annual Meeting OF the State Historical
Society.
The annual meeting of the State Histori-
cal Society was held at Topeka on the 18th.
at which large number of honorary men,
bers were elected, and members of the
board of directors chosen. The directors
presented their report of the work Of the
society for two years, as follows:
AN INTERESTING COLLECTION.
Bound volumes added to the library, 1850;
unbound volumes and pamphlets, 10,0OS; vol
umes of newspapers and periodicals. Abb; sim
gle newspapers and newspaper cuttings CON
thinning special historical material. 763: maps,
aliases, etc, 81: manuscripts. 1882; pictures,
1858; miscellaneous contributions, III; scrip,
currency, etc., Al. Thus il will be seen that the
library additions of books. pamphlets and news
paper files during the two years number 15,3S1
volumes. OF these 1857 have been procured
by gift and 1,014 by purchase. The total of the
ibary at the present time is as follows: S,352
bound volumes, q, JOB unbound volumes, 6.24s
bound newspaper files and volumes Of periodi-
Gals; in ALL g, 1o3 volumes.
The growth of the library during the two
years has been greater than that for any stni.
lar period: This has been due in part TO the
growth or the State in population. adding 10
the number of home contributors to collec-
lions. 1t has been largely due 10 the fact that
the uninterrupted prosperity of the society for
tue eleven years Oh lIS cNlSlcucc, anu IHt uIl-
paralleled growth OF its library in that period
has gwen the society a reputation for perma-
nency which has attracted the attention of the
older libraries and library workers of the coun-
| try, inducing great hberality their part in
gifts TO our library from their duplicate collec-
lions.
or such older libraries which have contributed
| largely to our collections during the past two
| years, the Boston Public Library, the library OF
| the Massachusetts Historical Society. Boston.
| and the library American Anfiouarinp
| Society, Worcester, Mass, have been most
| liberal.
PUBLIC DOCUMENTS.
The accession of those publications OF the
| United States Government which go TO make
up the materials of the political history of the
| country has been unusually large; especially OF
| such as come under the head of Congressional
debates. OF this class our library has received.
during the two years, seventeen volumes of the
series denomnated Annals of Congress, cover
| ing the period from 1888 to 1922 twenty-nine
| volumes of the Register of Debates in Congress-
| 1924 to 1887; seventy-four volumes OF the Con
] gressiOndL Globe 1888 to 1872; forty-two volumes
of the Congressional Record, commencing with
| the year 1873; in all 1872 volumes of this class.
Thus with what we have otherwise secured with
| very little cost to the State, have nearly
complete set of these volumes which contain {
| connected history of the discussions in Congress
and in the country, of every important subject
of public interest since the foundation of the
Government, including that decade of years il
which Kansas affairs occupied so conspicuous e
| part in Congressional proceedings.
| The unusual growth of the newspaper branch
| of our library is a marked feature, and of tho
| 5,570 newspaper volumes now in the library
1,157 have been added during the year past
| There are being published in the State
| 753 newspapers and periodicals, the regular is
| sues OF which all being preserved in the
| library of this society. 1t is the experience OF
! historical research in these days that files of
newspapers are the fountain head of all exact
data and information. And when it is consid
| cred that this society has gathered very ful
| files of the earliest newspapers published in
Kansas, and that within the last eleven years il
| has gathered all Kansas newspapers. and now
| contains nearly complete files of all the news
papers published in the newer counties, il may
| be truly said that its work in this department
| is unparalleled in the history OF library max
| ing. Our accumulation of materials of his
torical information of this class as touching the
whole country has become very large.
notable portion of the gift ninety-seveu
| volumes OF newspaper files from the Boston
| public library, is that OF sixty-four volumes OF
dates from 1861 to 1890. This is a most rare ano
valuable contribution TO our library of news
| paper files, and goes largely to increase the
richness of collection in earlier dates in this
| most important branch of historical materials.
| One of the largest gifts OF newspaper files
| which the society has ever received, has come
| during the year from Hon. E. p. Baker, o:
| Topeka. This gift consists OF sixty-hVe bound
| volumes, almost wholly of Topeka newspapers.
published between the years 1859 and 1885
| many of them of the earlier years of this pc
| Rod.
| Among the manuscript accessions of interest
which have added TO the very full history of this
| class of historical material which the society
possesses may be mentioned gift made by
Mr.. Edward Byram- of Atchison County. Of III
papers OF his grandfather Rev. lothian Meeker
| missionary to Kansas Indians, and who set
| up the first printing press in Kansas Mr..
Meeker began printing in the spring of 1884, at
| the Shawnee Baptist Mission, in what is now
| known johnson County, kansas. He did o
great deal of printing chiefly in the Indian Ian
guages, for the use of missionaries OF all demon
| nations in their efforts to instruct the various
tribes of Indians which shen occupied thai
| portion of the Indian Territory now in the
| limits of Kansas. His press was used fol-
| twenty years in this work, and up TO the time
! when the settlement of Kansas was begun. The
| press was afterwards owned by the well-krown
| Kansas editors, G. w. Brown, 5. s Prouty ano
| S. n. Wood. TIE manuscript papers relate to
| Mr.. Meekers missionary work. to his printing
and incidents pertaining to life among the
Indians in Michigan and Kansas during perioo
of thirty years.
The society has received large accessions OF
pictures historical recollections and miscellane
Gus contributions.
The library and collections of the society have
grown far beyond the denominations for room il
the State-house. The board urges the impor-
tance of provision in the new capital, on its
completion, for suitable and ample room for the
society for many years to come.
The new directors chosen were: J. G.
Pratt, Edwardsville; J. b. Abbott, De
Soto; n. a. Adams, Manhattan; j. H.
Downing, Hays City: George w. Knapp,
Clyde: C. E. Faulkner, Salina: G. W.
Veale, J. B. McAffee, T. \. Osborne, j. K.
Hudson, Topeka; Cyrus Leland, Troy; L.
B. Kellogg, Emporia; c. H. Kimball, Par
sons; II. H. Williams, Ossawatomie; Dr.
Charles Williamson, Washington; E. B.
Crew. Delphos; A. w. Smith, Mcpherson;
T. A. McNeal, Medicine Lodge: T. B. Muir